Kneeling Before the Grave
by Tears of the Moon 17
Summary: It's the anniversary of the death of Dick's parents so he escapes Mount Justice and visits their graves . . . The team, wishing to know what was bothering their teammate and friend, follow him . . .


Disclaimer- I don't own YJ.

Note- Wally doesn't know Robin's secret identity in this one-shot. And Zatanna doesn't exist. :p

**Kneeling Before the Grave**

Young Justice had thought that maybe Robin was having some problems in his personal life or something because of his strange behavior. Oh and when I say strange, I mean _strange_. Robin hadn't cackled when he pulled his disappearing act today nor did his smile seem to be real. He would space out while the team were chatting about something and would just poke at his food, his eyes locked on the plate before him . . .

. . . Yeah, something was definitely wrong with their teammate . . . But what? What could possibly get him to act like this since this morning? And why hadn't he confided in them about his apparent problem? Did he not trust them? Or was it because it was connected to his secret identity?

Yes! That had to be it! It had to something with his secret identity . . . But what?

"Maybe he's tired," Superboy offered.

Wally snorted and shook his head. "Nope. That can't be it. I've seen him stay up four days straight and only then did he start looking tired."

"Maybe something's up with him and Batman," M'gann said with a frown, unsure of her own words.

"Nah, those two are tight. The only time I've seen them fight is when Rob wanted to go on patrol the night after he got the crap beaten out of him by the Joker . . . And even then, it wasn't a real fight," Wally replied with a small smile on his face as he remembered that fond memory.

Artemis rubbed her eyes as she thought up a theory. "Maybe . . . Oh, I don't know! Robin's too hard to figure out! We'd have better luck finding the Injustice League! And besides, it's none of our business."

Aqualad nodded. "Artemis is right. If Robin feels that we need to know, he'll tell us."

Wally shook his head at Aqualad's words. "Dude, you don't know Robin like I do. The only one he confides in is Batman and that's because Batman wants to make sure Robin's alright. If Robin had his way, he'd keep everything to himself."

"So you're saying that the only way we'll find out what's wrong is if we follow him?" M'gann asked him innocently, unaware what her words would start.

" . . . Yeah, I guess . . . But that's pretty much impossible unless he's distracted . . ." Wally trailed off, the wheels turning in his mind.

"Which he is _right now_ on his way to Gotham! Why not follow him while he's traveling on his motorcycle?" Artemis jumped in, her eyes bright with the thought of spying on Robin.

"But isn't that wrong? Aren't we betraying his trust?" Aqualad asked, his words causing M'gann and Superboy to agree with him.

Wally nodded. "Pretty much but I can tell you right now that if we don't find out what's wrong this way, we'll never know. _Never_."

"So you can either come with us and find out what's wrong with him or stay and never know," Artemis said as she and Wally got off the couch and started towards their own motorcycles.

Aqualad, M'gann and Superboy shared a look and knew instantly that they wouldn't be able to stay because of their curiosity. They just _had_ to know what was wrong with Robin! He was the puzzle that no one had come close to figuring or even close to _touching_. This was their chance to rip away the mask and to finally connect with the person underneath.

"We're coming!" they said in unison, causing Artemis and Wally to laugh.

"Hurry up! Robin may be halfway to Gotham by now!" Wally shouted back to them, walking backwards.

**_Location: In Front of Gotham's Cemetery, Young Justice's POV_**

They had eventually caught up to Robin who was in his civvies with his signature glasses on. But where they caught up with him confused them. Why was he at Gotham's cemetery? Did someone he knew die yesterday or something? But since they didn't see any other people at the cemetery, they assumed that no one had recently died.

But why then? Was this his quiet place or something? If so . . . Wasn't that just a bit _too_ much like Batman?

"Hey . . . I know that girl," Artemis whispered to her teammates as they hid behind the big bushes next to the cemetery.

Wally looked up and saw a red-headed teenage girl walking up to Robin, her voice lost to the wind. "You wouldn't happen to have her number or anything, would you?"

Artemis scoffed. "Like I'd ever let you ruin her."

"Anyway," M'gann whispered loudly, "Superboy, can you hear what they're saying?"

Superboy nodded. "Yes . . . They're saying-"

**_Dick's POV_**

"Hey, what are you . . . Oh, it's today, isn't it? That's why you were acting weird at school," Barbara, his other red-headed best friend, said as she walked up to Dick with her backpack hanging off her shoulder.

Dick strained a smile. "Yeah . . . So what are you doing here?"

"Just passing by. I had to stay at school because I had foolishly offered our history teacher my aid in grading her _giant_ stack of papers," Barbara answered with a shudder.

Dick chuckled weakly. "That's what you get for wanting to get on her good side. You _know_ that she's mean to everyone and that includes the good students. So it's pointless to try."

Barbara shook her head, her red hair going everywhere. "No, I_ refuse_ to be beaten. _All_ of the teachers love me and soon, that will include her."

" . . . There's a bet going on, isn't there?"

" . . . No. I'm just doing this for my-"

"Whatever, Bar. So how much if you get her to like you?"

". . . Five hundred bucks."

Dick snorted. "That's still not worth sacrificing your spare time with that evil person. Honestly, I feel like her class sucks the life out of me."

"You too? I told my dad that and he just waved it off," Barbara said, rolling her eyes.

"Bruce did too but then I secretly videotaped her class and made him watch it . . . After that, he became a total believer. It was _totally_ worth spending an hour talking my way out of doing detention for a week."

" Hey, can I borrow that tape?"

"Depends . . . Going to make your dad watch it?"

"Duh."

"Good. I'll bring it to school tomorrow."

"Cool . . . Hey, Dick, I got to go. Got homework waiting to be burned at home."

" . . . And yet you get straight A's," Dick murmured as Barbara started walking away.

"Bye, Dick! Give my best to your parents!" Barbara shouted back to Dick, waving without turning around.

"Will do," Dick shouted back, his false smile now replaced with a grim look.

_Yeah . . . Will do . . ._

Dick inhaled deeply and turned around to face the cemetery. He hadn't been there since last year . . . Man, it didn't feel like it had been last year. More like yesterday . . . Was this what Bruce was talking about how the days without them seem like mere hours, not days? How time became more of an illusion the longer they've been dead?

_Probably . . . But this is not the time to think about that . . . Today is all about Mom and Dad . . . and their deaths. _

Dick swallowed as he stalked over to his parents' graves and sat down in front of them. He knew that people usually spoke to graves, hoping that their words could be heard but Dick never did that; he would just there, merely enjoying the silence that haunted his parents' graves. He would soak in the silence and the company, content to just sit and listen to the birds sing. Sure, there were things that Dick wanted to say to his parents but he had long ago locked those heavy words away, hoping that someday he would be able to speak them.

"I knew you would come."

Dick smirked at Bruce's words. "Have I become _that _predictable?"

"No. I just know you," Bruce replied softly as he sat down next to Dick and placed his right arm on Dick's shoulders.

" . . . I miss them," Dick whispered softly, his throat tightening.

Bruce smiled sadly, his right hand squeezing Dick's shoulder. "I know you do, Dick. You always will."

"So how did you visit their graves?" Dick asked, changing the subject.

Bruce nodded, knowing that Dick was talking about Bruce's parents' graves. "Yes. Since I knew you would come here, I decided to hit two birds with one stone."

"I thought you were having a meeting with the Justice League," Dick said, his eyebrows knotted.

"I did but then Clark started to go on and on about . . . something and I managed to escape without anyone noticing."

Dick smirked. "What was it about this time? Lois or his mom?"

"A combination of both," Bruce replied with a groan. "If I have to hear one more word about how great Lois is or how it's annoying to have a nagging mother, I might just send Clark some Kryptonite in a chocolate cake."

"I thought we tried that already."

"Last time we only put a _little_ bit of Kryptonite in the cake. If we up the dosage, it should _at least _damage Clark's vocal chords enough to keep him from talking for a while."

"Why stop there?"

"Dick!"

"What? You're the one who suggested the whole let's-put-Kryptonite-in-the-cake-to-shut-up-Clark thing! I on the other hand suggested that we blackmail him with his secret stash of pictures of Lois."

"Yes but . . ."

"But what, Bruce?"

"Your idea was so . . . _tame_. What I have had to deal with deserves _far more_ payment."

Dick snickered. "Someone has issues."

"Trust me, Dick, if you had to listen to Clark for a mere _hour_ . . . You would feel the same," Bruce said with a shiver.

"Ah huh. So I guess we should head home. If we're late for dinner again, Alfred is going to have our heads."

Bruce shook his head. "No, Alfred is too polite for that. He would do something much worse."

"Like what?" Dick asked as he and Bruce got up and started walking towards the shiny limo.

"Like not cooking our meals for a week," Bruce replied gravely, his face etched with a Batman-like seriousness.

**_Young Justice's POV_**

The young heroes were silent as they watched Robin (they couldn't call him Dick . . . that would be too weird) and whom they had determined to be Batman. As they watched Robin and Batman climb into the limo and drive off, suddenly all the information they had gathered settled upon their shoulders.

Robin was Dick Grayson, an orphan who was taken in by Bruce Wayne.

Batman was Bruce Wayne who was legendary for his bottomless wallet and playboy ways.

Robin's parents were clearly deceased and today was the anniversary of their deaths, that being the reason why he seemed so down today.

. . . And they learned this by betraying Robin's trust and spying on him.

They all felt extremely guilty but they all held a certain degree of satisfactory for finally seeing the person under the mask. They now knew what was upsetting Robin and ways they could help him forget. They now knew that they would have to avoid speaking about their parents and how they were overprotective. They now knew that, in their own way, could be there for him on the next anniversary with mere hugs and thoughts of understanding. Sure, he would never know but maybe that was for the best. After all, Robin would be _beyond_ mad and when Robin was mad, there was no running or surviving.

You would just die.

"So we all agree to never speak of this to _anyone or anything_ and to be there for Robin on the next anniversary?" Kid Flash asked his teammates as they collapsed onto furniture in Mount Justice's living room.

"Yes," Aqualad and the others murmured as they started to doze off.

"Good," Kid Flash muttered as his eyes closed. "Because if Robin were ever to find out, we'd all be beyond screwed-"

"If I were to find out what?"

Needless to say, Kid Flash and his friends did _not_ get to take their naps . . . nor did they stop jumping at the slightest noise until they were clear into their thirties.

_The End_

**A/N- **Hope you enjoyed! I started this last June and I finally finished it today! ^-^ Took me _that long_ to figure out that second half of the one-shot . . . This was 2,185 words.


End file.
